SPECIAL TEAMS: B-minus

Brad Horrigan / Hartford Courant

Junior kicker Bobby Puyol (pictured) is ranked No.1 in the nation – along with 12 others in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) – for perfection on field goals. Puyol is 7-for-7 with a long of 42. There were issues with blocked extra points early but the Huskies appear to have fixed the issue. Punter Justin Wain (38.9 average with seven punts inside the 20) can be better but he hasn’t hurt the team. Punt returner Brian Lemelle is pretty much in a punt-safe situation all the time so the Huskies are at the mercy of the opposing punter in that regard. On kickoff returns, Arkeel Newsome, the AAC special teams player of the week, had 106 yards on three returns at Central Florida, including a 71-yarder. UConn is 17th in the nation in punt return defense (17.6 yards allowed) and seventh in punt return defense, allowing fewer than a yard per return.

Junior kicker Bobby Puyol (pictured) is ranked No.1 in the nation – along with 12 others in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) – for perfection on field goals. Puyol is 7-for-7 with a long of 42. There were issues with blocked extra points early but the Huskies appear to have fixed the issue. Punter Justin Wain (38.9 average with seven punts inside the 20) can be better but he hasn’t hurt the team. Punt returner Brian Lemelle is pretty much in a punt-safe situation all the time so the Huskies are at the mercy of the opposing punter in that regard. On kickoff returns, Arkeel Newsome, the AAC special teams player of the week, had 106 yards on three returns at Central Florida, including a 71-yarder. UConn is 17th in the nation in punt return defense (17.6 yards allowed) and seventh in punt return defense, allowing fewer than a yard per return.

(Brad Horrigan / Hartford Courant)

Junior kicker Bobby Puyol (pictured) is ranked No.1 in the nation – along with 12 others in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) – for perfection on field goals. Puyol is 7-for-7 with a long of 42. There were issues with blocked extra points early but the Huskies appear to have fixed the issue. Punter Justin Wain (38.9 average with seven punts inside the 20) can be better but he hasn’t hurt the team. Punt returner Brian Lemelle is pretty much in a punt-safe situation all the time so the Huskies are at the mercy of the opposing punter in that regard. On kickoff returns, Arkeel Newsome, the AAC special teams player of the week, had 106 yards on three returns at Central Florida, including a 71-yarder. UConn is 17th in the nation in punt return defense (17.6 yards allowed) and seventh in punt return defense, allowing fewer than a yard per return.